the |
1. art. Definite grammatical article that implies necessarily that an entity it articulates is presupposed; something already mentioned, or completely specified later in that same sentence, or assumed already | |
I’m reading the book. (Compare I’m reading a book.) | |
The street in front of your house. (Compare A street in Paris.) | |
The men and women watched the man give the birdseed to the bird. | |
2. art. Used before a noun modified by a restrictive relative clause, indicating that the noun refers to a single referent defined by the relative clause. | |
The street that runs through my hometown. | |
3. art. Used before an object considered to be unique, or of which there is only one at a time. | |
No one knows how many galaxies there are in the universe. | |
God save the Queen! | |
4. art. Used before a superlative or an ordinal number modifying a noun, to indicate that the noun refers to a single item. | |
That was the best apple pie ever. | |
5. art. Added to a superlative or an ordinal number to make it into a substantive. | |
That apple pie was the best. | |
6. art. Introducing a singular term to be taken generically: preceding a name of something standing for a whole class. | |
7. art. Used before an adjective, indicating all things (especially persons) described by that adjective. | |
Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable. | |
8. art. Used to indicate a certain example of (a noun) which is usually of most concern or most common or familiar. | |
No one in the whole country had seen it before. | |
I don't think I'll get to it until the morning. | |
9. art. Used before a body part (especially of someone previously mentioned), as an alternative to a possessive pronoun. | |
A stone hit him on the head. (= “A stone hit him on his head.”) | |
10. art. When stressed, indicates that it describes an object which is considered to be best or exclusively worthy of attention. | |
That is the hospital to go to for heart surgery. | |
11. adv. 1=With a comparative ormore and a verb phrase, establishes a parallel with one or more other such comparatives. | |
The hotter the better. | |
The more I think about it, the weaker it looks. | |
The more money donated, the more books purchased, and the more happy children. | |
It looks weaker and weaker, the more I think about it. | |
12. adv. 1=With a comparative, and often withfor it, indicates a result more like said comparative. This can be negated withnone. | |
It was a difficult time, but I’m the wiser for it. | |
It was a difficult time, and I’m none the wiser for it. | |
I'm much the wiser for having had a difficult time like that. | |
beauty |
1. n. The quality of being (especially visually) attractive, pleasing, fine or good-looking; comeliness. | |
2. n. Someone who is beautiful. | |
Brigitte Bardot was a renowned beauty. | |
3. n. Something that is particularly good or pleasing. | |
That phrasing is a beauty. | |
What a goal, what a beauty. | |
4. n. An excellent or egregious example of something. | |
5. n. (with the definite article) The excellence, e.g. the genius | |
The beauty of the deal is it costs nothing! | |
6. n. (particle, obsolete) A beauty quark (now called bottom quark). | |
7. n. Beauty treatment; cosmetology. | |
8. n. (obsolete) Prevailing style or taste; rage; fashion. | |
9. interj. (Canada) Thanks! Cool! | |
It's the long weekend. Beauty! | |
10. adj. (Canada) Of high quality, well done. | |
He made a beauty pass through the neutral zone. | |
of |
1. prep. Expressing distance or motion. | |
2. prep. (now obsolete, or dialectal) From (of distance, direction), "off". | |
3. prep. (obsolete except in phrases) Since, from (a given time, earlier state etc.). | |
4. prep. From, away from (a position, number, distance etc.). | |
There are no shops within twenty miles of the cottage. | |
5. prep. (North America, Scotland, Ireland) Before (the hour); to. | |
What's the time? / Nearly a quarter of three. | |
6. prep. Expressing separation. | |
7. prep. (Indicating removal, absence or separation, with the action indicated by a transitive verb and the quality or substance by a grammatical object.) | |
Finally she was relieved of the burden of caring for her sick husband. | |
8. prep. (Indicating removal, absence or separation, with resulting state indicated by an adjective.) | |
He seemed devoid of human feelings. | |
9. prep. (obsolete) (Indicating removal, absence or separation, construed with an intransitive verb.) | |
10. prep. Expressing origin. | |
11. prep. (Indicating an ancestral source or origin of descent.) | |
The word is believed to be of Japanese origin. | |
12. prep. (Indicating a (non-physical) source of action or emotion; introducing a cause, instigation); from, out of, as an expression of. | |
The invention was born of necessity. | |
13. prep. (following an intransitive verb) (Indicates the source or cause of the verb.) | |
It is said that she died of a broken heart. | |
14. prep. (following an adjective) (Indicates the subject or cause of the adjective.) | |
I am tired of all this nonsense. | |
15. prep. Expressing agency. | |
16. prep. (following a passive verb) (Indicates the agent (for most verbs, now usually expressed with by).) | |
I am not particularly enamoured of this idea. | |
17. prep. (Used to introduce the "subjective genitive"; following a noun to form the head of a postmodifying noun phrase) (see also 'Possession' senses below). | |
The contract can be terminated at any time with the agreement of both parties. | |
18. prep. (following an adjective) (Used to indicate the agent of something described by the adjective.) | |
It was very brave of you to speak out like that. | |
19. prep. Expressing composition, substance. | |
20. prep. (after a verb expressing construction, making etc.) (Used to indicate the material or substance used.) | |
Many 'corks' are now actually made of plastic. | |
21. prep. (directly following a noun) (Used to indicate the material of the just-mentioned object.) | |
She wore a dress of silk. | |
22. prep. (Indicating the composition of a given collective or quantitative noun.) | |
What a lot of nonsense! | |
23. prep. (Used to link a given class of things with a specific example of that class.) | |
Welcome to the historic town of Harwich. | |
24. prep. (Links two nouns in near-apposition, with the first qualifying the second); "which is also". | |
I'm not driving this wreck of a car. | |
25. prep. Introducing subject matter. | |
26. prep. (Links an intransitive verb, or a transitive verb and its subject (especially verbs to do with thinking, feeling, expressing etc.), with its subject-ma | |
I'm always thinking of you. | |
27. prep. (following a noun (now chiefly nouns of knowledge, communication etc.)) (Introduces its subject matter); about, concerning. | |
He told us the story of his journey to India. | |
28. prep. (following an adjective) (Introduces its subject matter.) | |
This behaviour is typical of teenagers. | |
29. prep. Having partitive effect. | |
30. prep. (following a number or other quantitive word) (Introduces the whole for which is indicated only the specified part or segment); "from among". | |
Most of these apples are rotten. | |
31. prep. (following a noun) (Indicates a given part.) | |
32. prep. (now archaic, literary, with preceding partitive word assumed, or as a predicate after to be) Some, an amount of, one of. | |
On the whole, they seem to be of the decent sort. | |
33. prep. (Links to a genitive noun or possessive pronoun, with partitive effect (though now often merged with possessive senses, below).) | |
He is a friend of mine. | |
34. prep. Expressing possession. | |
35. prep. Belonging to, existing in, or taking place in a given location, place or time. Compare "origin" senses, above. | |
He was perhaps the most famous scientist of the twentieth century. | |
36. prep. Belonging to (a place) through having title, ownership or control over it. | |
The owner of the nightclub was arrested. | |
37. prep. Belonging to (someone or something) as something they possess or have as a characteristic; (the "possessive genitive". (With abstract nouns, this inter | |
Keep the handle of the saucepan away from the flames. | |
38. prep. Forming the "objective genitive". | |
39. prep. (Follows an agent noun, verbal noun or noun of action.) | |
She had a profound distrust of the police. | |
40. prep. Expressing qualities or characteristics. | |
41. prep. (now archaic, or literary) (Links an adjective with a noun or noun phrase to form a quasi-adverbial qualifier); in respect to, as regards. | |
My companion seemed affable and easy of manner. | |
42. prep. (Indicates a quality or characteristic); "characterized by". | |
Pooh was said to be a bear of very little brain. | |
43. prep. (Indicates quantity, age, price, etc.) | |
We have been paying interest at a rate of 10%. | |
44. prep. (US, informal considered incorrect by some) (Used to link singular indefinite nouns (preceded by the indefinite article) and attributive adjectives mod | |
It's not that big of a deal. | |
45. prep. Expressing a point in time. | |
46. prep. (chiefly regional) During the course of (a set period of time, day of the week etc.), now specifically with implied repetition or regularity. | |
Of an evening, we would often go for a stroll along the river. | |
47. prep. (UK dialectal, chiefly in negative constructions) For (a given length of time). | |
I've not tekken her out of a goodly long while. | |
48. prep. (after a noun) (Indicates duration of a state, activity etc.) | |
After a delay of three hours, the plane finally took off. | |
the |
1. art. Definite grammatical article that implies necessarily that an entity it articulates is presupposed; something already mentioned, or completely specified later in that same sentence, or assumed already | |
I’m reading the book. (Compare I’m reading a book.) | |
The street in front of your house. (Compare A street in Paris.) | |
The men and women watched the man give the birdseed to the bird. | |
2. art. Used before a noun modified by a restrictive relative clause, indicating that the noun refers to a single referent defined by the relative clause. | |
The street that runs through my hometown. | |
3. art. Used before an object considered to be unique, or of which there is only one at a time. | |
No one knows how many galaxies there are in the universe. | |
God save the Queen! | |
4. art. Used before a superlative or an ordinal number modifying a noun, to indicate that the noun refers to a single item. | |
That was the best apple pie ever. | |
5. art. Added to a superlative or an ordinal number to make it into a substantive. | |
That apple pie was the best. | |
6. art. Introducing a singular term to be taken generically: preceding a name of something standing for a whole class. | |
7. art. Used before an adjective, indicating all things (especially persons) described by that adjective. | |
Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable. | |
8. art. Used to indicate a certain example of (a noun) which is usually of most concern or most common or familiar. | |
No one in the whole country had seen it before. | |
I don't think I'll get to it until the morning. | |
9. art. Used before a body part (especially of someone previously mentioned), as an alternative to a possessive pronoun. | |
A stone hit him on the head. (= “A stone hit him on his head.”) | |
10. art. When stressed, indicates that it describes an object which is considered to be best or exclusively worthy of attention. | |
That is the hospital to go to for heart surgery. | |
11. adv. 1=With a comparative ormore and a verb phrase, establishes a parallel with one or more other such comparatives. | |
The hotter the better. | |
The more I think about it, the weaker it looks. | |
The more money donated, the more books purchased, and the more happy children. | |
It looks weaker and weaker, the more I think about it. | |
12. adv. 1=With a comparative, and often withfor it, indicates a result more like said comparative. This can be negated withnone. | |
It was a difficult time, but I’m the wiser for it. | |
It was a difficult time, and I’m none the wiser for it. | |
I'm much the wiser for having had a difficult time like that. | |
golden |
1. adj. Made of, or relating to, gold. | |
She wore a golden crown. | |
2. adj. Having a colour or other richness suggestive of gold. | |
Under a golden sun. | |
3. adj. Of a beverage, flavoured or colored with turmeric. | |
4. adj. Marked by prosperity, creativity etc. | |
The Renaissance was a golden era. | |
the Golden Horseshoe | |
5. adj. Advantageous or very favourable. | |
This is a golden opportunity | |
6. adj. Relating to a fiftieth anniversary. | |
It's not long until our golden wedding. | |
7. adj. Relating to the elderly or retired. | |
After retiring, Bob and Judy moved to Arizona to live out their golden years. | |
8. adj. (slang) Fine, without problems. | |
9. n. , a fish found in southeast Asia. | |
10. v. (intransitive) To become gold or golden (in colour). | |
11. v. To make golden or like gold. | |
pavilion |
1. n. An ornate tent. | |
2. n. A light roofed structure used as a shelter in a public place. | |
3. n. A structure, sometimes temporary, erected to house exhibits at a fair, etc. | |
4. n. (cricket) The building where the players change clothes, wait to bat, and eat their meals. | |
5. n. A detached or semi-detached building at a hospital or other building complex. | |
6. n. The lower surface of a brilliant-cut gemstone, lying between the girdle and collet. | |
7. n. (anatomy) The cartiliginous part of the outer ear; auricle. | |
8. n. (anatomy) The fimbriated extremity of the Fallopian tube. | |
9. n. (military) A flag, ensign, or banner. | |
10. n. A flag or ensign carried at the gaff of the mizzenmast. | |
11. n. (heraldry) A tent used as a bearing. | |
12. n. A covering; a canopy; figuratively, the sky. | |
13. v. To furnish with a pavilion. | |
14. v. To put inside a pavilion. | |
15. v. (transitive, figuratively) To enclose or surround (after Robert Grant's hymn line "pavilioned in splendour"). | |
covered |
1. adj. Overlaid with or enclosed within something. | |
2. adj. (figuratively) Prepared for, or having dealt with, some matter | |
With my insurance, I am covered for earthquake damage. | |
3. adj. (poker) Than whom another player has more money available for betting. | |
John has $100 on the table, while Jill only has $75. John has Jill covered. | |
4. adj. (dated) Wearing one's hat. | |
5. v. simple past tense and past participle of cover | |
cover |
1. n. A lid. | |
2. n. Area or situation which screens a person or thing from view. | |
We didn't see John because he had taken cover behind the wing chair. | |
3. n. The front and back of a book, magazine, CD package, etc. | |
4. n. The top sheet of a bed. | |
5. n. A cloth, usually fitted, placed over an item such as a car or sofa to protect it from dust, rain, etc. when not in use. | |
6. n. A cover charge. | |
There's a $15 cover tonight. | |
7. n. A setting at a restaurant table or formal dinner. | |
We need to set another cover for the Smith party. | |
8. n. (music) A rerecording of a previously recorded song; a cover version; a cover song. | |
9. n. (cricket) A fielding position on the off side, between point and mid off, about 30° forward of square; a fielder in this position. | |
10. n. (topology) A set (more often known as a family) of sets, whose union contains the given set. | |
The open intervals are a cover for the real numbers. | |
11. n. (philately) An envelope complete with stamps and postmarks etc. | |
12. n. (military) A solid object, including terrain, that provides protection from enemy fire. | |
13. n. (legal) In commercial law, a buyer’s purchase on the open market of goods similar or identical to the goods contracted for after a seller has breached a contract of sale by failure to deliver the good | |
14. n. (insurance) An insurance contract; coverage by an insurance contract. | |
15. n. (espionage) A persona maintained by a spy or undercover operative, cover story | |
16. n. The portion of a slate, tile, or shingle that is hidden by the overlap of the course above. | |
17. n. In a steam engine, the lap of a slide valve. | |
18. n. (construction) The distance between reinforcing steel and the exterior of concrete. | |
19. adj. Of or pertaining to the front cover of a book or magazine. | |
20. adj. (music) Of, pertaining to, or consisting of cover versions. | |
21. v. To place something over or upon, as to conceal or protect. | |
He covered the baby with a blanket. | |
When the pot comes to a boil, cover it and reduce the heat to medium. | |
22. v. To be over or upon, as to conceal or protect. | |
The blanket covered the baby. | |
23. v. To be upon all of, so as to completely conceal. | |
Regular hexagons can cover the plane. | |
24. v. To set upon all of, so as to completely conceal. | |
You can cover the plane with regular hexagons. | |
25. v. To invest (oneself with something); to bring upon (oneself). | |
The heroic soldier covered himself with glory. | |
26. v. (of a publication) To discuss thoroughly; to provide coverage of. | |
The magazine covers such diverse topics as politics, news from the world of science, and the economy. | |
27. v. To deal with or include someone or something. | |
28. v. To be enough money for. | |
We've earned enough to cover most of our costs. | |
Ten dollars should cover lunch. | |
29. v. (intransitive) To act as a replacement. | |
I need to take off Tuesday. Can you cover for me? | |
30. v. To have as an assignment or responsibility. | |
Can you cover the morning shift tomorrow? I'll give you off next Monday instead. | |
He is our salesman covering companies with headquarters in the northern provinces. | |
31. v. (music) To make a cover version of (a song that was originally recorded by another artist). | |
32. v. (military, law enforcement) To protect using an aimed firearm and the threat of firing; or to protect using continuous, heaving fire at or in the direction of the enemy so as to force the enemy to rem | |
33. v. To provide insurance coverage for. | |
Does my policy cover accidental loss? | |
34. v. To copulate with (said of certain male animals such as dogs and horses). | |
I would like to have my bitch covered next spring. | |
The stallion has not covered the mare yet. | |
35. v. (chess, transitive) To protect or control (a piece or square). | |
In order to checkmate a king on the side of the board, the five squares adjacent to the king must all be covered. | |
36. v. To extend over a given period of time or range, to occupy, to stretch over a given area. | |
37. v. (sports) To defend a particular player or area. | |
in |
1. prep. Used to indicate location, inclusion, or position within spatial, temporal or other limits. | |
2. prep. Contained by. | |
The dog is in the kennel. | |
3. prep. Within. | |
4. prep. Surrounded by. | |
We are in the enemy camp. Her plane is in the air. | |
5. prep. Part of; a member of. | |
One in a million. She's in band and orchestra. | |
6. prep. Pertaining to; with regard to. | |
What grade did he get in English? | |
Military letters should be formal in tone, but not stilted. | |
7. prep. At the end of a period of time. | |
They said they would call us in a week. | |
8. prep. Within a certain elapsed time | |
Are you able to finish this in three hours? The massacre resulted in over 1000 deaths in three hours. | |
9. prep. During (said of periods of time). | |
in the first week of December; Easter falls in the fourth lunar month; The country reached a high level of prosperity in his fi | |
10. prep. (grammar, phonetics, of sounds and letters) Coming at the end of a word. | |
English nouns in -ce form their plurals in -s. | |
11. prep. Into. | |
Less water gets in your boots this way. | |
12. prep. Used to indicate limit, qualification, condition, or circumstance. | |
In replacing the faucet washers, he felt he was making his contribution to the environment. | |
13. prep. Indicating an order or arrangement. | |
My fat rolls around in folds. | |
14. prep. Denoting a state of the subject. | |
He stalked away in anger. John is in a coma. | |
15. prep. Indicates, connotatively, a place-like form of someone's (or something's) personality, as his, her or its psychic and physical characteristics. | |
You've got a friend in me. He's met his match in her. | |
16. prep. Wearing (an item of clothing). | |
I glanced over at the pretty girl in the red dress. | |
17. prep. Used to indicate means, medium, format, genre, or instrumentality. | |
18. prep. (of something offered or given in an exchange) In the form of, in the denomination of. | |
Please pay me in cash — preferably in tens and twenties. | |
The deposit can be in any legal tender, even in gold. | |
Her generosity was rewarded in the success of its recipients. | |
19. prep. Used to indicate a language, script, tone, etc. of a text, speech, etc. | |
Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5" in C minor is among his most popular. | |
His speech was in French, but was simultaneously translated into eight languages. | |
When you write in cursive, it's illegible. | |
20. v. (obsolete, transitive) To enclose. | |
21. v. (obsolete, transitive) To take in; to harvest. | |
22. adv. (not comparable) Located indoors, especially at home or the office, or inside something. | |
Is Mr. Smith in? | |
23. adv. Moving to the interior of a defined space, such as a building or room. | |
Suddenly a strange man walked in. | |
24. adv. (sports) Still eligible to play, e.g. able to bat in cricket and baseball. | |
He went for the wild toss but wasn't able to stay in. | |
25. adv. (UK) Abbreviation of in aid of. | |
What's that in? | |
26. adv. After the beginning of something. | |
27. n. A position of power or a way to get it. | |
His parents got him an in with the company | |
28. n. (sport) The state of a batter/batsman who is currently batting – see innings | |
29. n. A re-entrant angle; a nook or corner. | |
30. adj. In fashion; popular. | |
Skirts are in this year. | |
31. adj. Incoming. | |
the in train | |
32. adj. (nautical, of the sails of a vessel) Furled or stowed. | |
33. adj. (legal) With privilege or possession; used to denote a holding, possession, or seisin. | |
in by descent; in by purchase; in of the seisin of her husband | |
34. adj. (cricket) Currently batting. | |
35. n. Inch. | |
snow |
1. n. The frozen, crystalline state of water that falls as precipitation. | |
2. n. Any similar frozen form of a gas or liquid. | |
3. n. A shade of the color white. | |
(color panel, F9F5E6) | |
4. n. The moving pattern of random dots displayed on a television, etc., when no transmission signal is being received. | |
5. n. (slang) Cocaine. | |
6. n. A snowfall; a blanket of frozen, crystalline water. | |
We have had several heavy snows this year. | |
7. v. (impersonal) To have snow fall from the sky. | |
It is snowing. | |
It started to snow. | |
8. v. (colloquial) To hoodwink someone, especially by presenting confusing information. | |
9. v. (poker) To bluff in draw poker by refusing to draw any cards. | |
10. n. (nautical) A square-rigged vessel, differing from a brig only in that she has a trysail mast close abaft the mainmast, on which a large trysail is hoisted. | |
11. n. topics, en, Atmospheric phenomena, Colors, Whites, Winter | |
was |
1. v. first-person singular past of be. | |
2. v. third-person singular past of be. | |
be |
1. v. (intransitive, now literary) To exist; to have real existence. | |
2. v. (with there, or dialectally it, as dummy subject) To exist. | |
There is just one woman in town who can help us. (or, dialectally:) It is just one woman in town who can help us. | |
3. v. (intransitive) To occupy a place. | |
The cup is on the table. | |
4. v. (intransitive) To occur, to take place. | |
When will the meeting be? | |
5. v. (intransitive, in perfect tenses, without predicate) Elliptical form of "be here", "go to and return from" or similar. | |
The postman has been today, but my tickets have still not yet come. | |
I have been to Spain many times. | |
Moscow, huh? I've never been, but it sounds fascinating. | |
6. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to indicate that the subject and object are the same. | |
Knowledge is bliss. | |
Hi, I’m Jim. | |
7. v. (transitive, copulative, mathematics) Used to indicate that the values on either side of an equation are the same. | |
3 times 5 is fifteen. | |
8. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to indicate that the subject plays the role of the predicate nominal. | |
François Mitterrand was president of France from 1981 to 1995. | |
9. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to connect a noun to an adjective that describes it. | |
The sky is blue. | |
10. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to indicate that the subject has the qualities described by a noun or noun phrase. | |
The sky is a deep blue today. | |
11. v. (transitive, auxiliary) Used to form the passive voice. | |
The dog was drowned by the boy. | |
12. v. (transitive, auxiliary) Used to form the continuous forms of various tenses. | |
The woman is walking. | |
I shall be writing to you soon. | |
We liked to chat while we were eating. | |
13. v. (archaic, auxiliary) Used to form the perfect aspect with certain intransitive verbs, most of which indicate motion. Often still used for "to go". | |
14. v. (transitive, auxiliary) Used to form future tenses, especially the future periphrastic. | |
I am to leave tomorrow. | |
I would drive you, were I to obtain a car. | |
15. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to link a subject to a measurement. | |
This building is three hundred years old. | |
I am 75 kilograms. | |
He’s about 6 feet tall. | |
16. v. (transitive, copulative, with a cardinal numeral) Used to state the age of a subject in years. | |
I’m 20. (= I am 20 years old.) | |
17. v. (with a dummy subject) it Used to indicate the time of day. | |
It is almost eight. (= It is almost eight o’clock.) | |
It’s 8:30 read eight-thirty in Tokyo. | |
What time is it there? It’s night. | |
18. v. (With since) Used to indicate passage of time since the occurrence of an event. | |
It has been three years since my grandmother died. (similar to My grandmother died three years ago, but emphasizes the intervening period) | |
It had been six days since his departure, when I received a letter from him. | |
19. v. (often, impersonal, with it as a dummy subject) Used to indicate weather, air quality, or the like. | |
It is hot in Arizona, but it is not usually humid. | |
Why is it so dark in here? | |
20. v. (dynamic/lexical "be", especially in progressive tenses, conjugated non-suppletively in the present tense, see usage notes) To exist or behave in a certain way. | |
"What do we do?" "We be ourselves.". | |
Why is he being nice to me? | |
unmatched |
1. adj. (of a pair of things) not matched; odd | |
2. adj. (of a single thing) not matched with anything else | |
3. adj. peerless; unrivalled; beyond comparison | |
4. v. simple past tense and past participle of unmatch | |
unmatch |
1. v. To separate a matching pair. | |